The invention relates to eyewear, particularly to devices for altering the appearance of eyeglass frames and to sets comprised of one or more such devices coupled with a primary frame and lenses, and, in some cases, a clip-on sunglasses or other accessories.
My U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,707 discloses CONVERTIBLE EYEGLASSES. In that patent, I provide means for converting ordinary eyeglasses to sunglasses stylishly.
An object of this invention is to provide means by which a primary frame and lenses can be given different looks for different occasions. For instance, one may desire a businesslike appearance during working hours and then a more striking or glamorous appearance for a dinner date. Neither case ordinarily requires the wearing of sunglasses.
Achievement of this and other objects of the invention is provided according to the invention by cover clip-ons for a part of the front portion of the primary frame. These clip-ons mask a front portion of the primary frame to a view from the front and preferably also sideways, for instance from the top.
The covers of the invention, in masking a portion of the primary frame, may alter the visual effect of the eyewear in a large number of ways. Thus, the covers may differ from the primary frame in color, in material, in mottling and marbling, in texture, in shape, and any of the large number of other means used by fashion designers to achieve unique looks.
Cellulose acetate (zyl) is a preferred material of construction for the covers. Other frame materials, such as light nylon (TR 90), may be used as well. A frame material guide is presented at:
EYECARE BUSINESSxe2x80x94ISSUExe2x80x94OCTOBER 2000xe2x80x94PAGE 74.
The cover clip-ons of the invention may attach to the primary frame using the various techniques applied for connecting sunglass clip-ons to a primary frame. Other techniques, not used for sunglass clip-ons, may also be used.
In a preferred form of the invention, the cover clip-ons of the invention are in the form of a strip having two top eye rim cover sections interconnected by a bridge.
The present invention may be supplemented, as well, with the temple coverlets of my above-referenced U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,707. By combining the temple coverlets with the frame front portion cover clip-ons of the present invention, it is possible to convert the appearance of the majority of the primary frame. The invention further includes sets comprised of one or more of the cover clip-ons of the present invention coupled with a primary frame and lenses, and a clip-on sunglasses. My U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,707 shows coordination of a primary frame and lenses with a clip-on sunglasses. For these reasons, the entire U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,707 is incorporated here by reference.